Currently the world’s top player is a support player, and this is generally the case. Using the role of support effectively requires knowledge of the role and a willingness to work with your team. Given that support doesn’t have anything to offer in terms of direct assault capabilities and also has the game’s weakest units, it’s very tempting for players to simply hide in the corner of the map and use solely artillery. Let’s review the correct use of units and how to play correctly.
The Units
From left to right, descending:
Heavy Artillery: The most expensive unit in the game. It has a long range that enables a support player to fire on, generally, three-quarters of the map. American and NATO artillery is rocket-based and enables a short, continuous, stream of rockets onto three consecutive areas. The stream of rockets is very traceable. USSR artillery is strictly shell-based and packs a brief, but very powerful, punch. Both allow for smoke cover to be launched, which is particularly effective for helping allies’ tanks against helicopters or confusing enemies. Target fortifications and stationary units. Medium Artillery should be used against infantry instead of Heavy Artillery.
Given the fragile and expensive natures of this unit, this should be one of the first things enemy helicopters target. 5 seconds in contact with a heavy helicopter is enough for the enemy to destroy the artillery. Even losing the helicopter in the process, the enemy will still have lost less manpower. Avoid staying in one place long. Personally, I don’t think this is a great asset for support to have, especially when you look at expense, fragility, and usefulness; most TA and Medium Artillery accomplish the same thing as Heavy Artillery for less. Don’t start with this.
Medium Artillery: For a reduced cost, you get artillery with both lowered attack and range. The offensive ability of firing White Phosphorous Rounds (USA, NATO) and Incendiary Rounds (USSR) makes this geared towards use against infantry and forests. Or infantry in forests. You probably get the idea. As with Heavy Artillery, be sure to target fortifications. Aside from actual enemy fighting, fortifications slow down offensives the most. Also make certain you keep moving to avoid TA strikes. I use Medium Artillery once I already have forces on the field and then if the enemy uses infantry.
Heavy Anti-Air: This should be any support player’s primary unit. No other class has the ability to counter helicopters with such aggressiveness and efficiency. Always cover allied armor foremost. If the enemy doesn’t hamper your efforts, be as aggressive as possible. When playing as Air once, AA literally chased me around the map.
Remember to use smoke with these units. There are two primary times for using it: when tanks are attacking and when helicopters are attacking. For the former, it should pull the enemy out of position, give your allies time to pull the enemy off, and prevent further firing on the HAA unit. For the latter, it should primarily be used to prevent Anti-Tank Missiles from getting a “lock” and taking you down even if you’re in smoke. Think of it as preventative measures from getting locked onto instead of simply smoke. In both cases, be sure to be stationary when using smoke. The hotkey sequence for stationary-smoke is t – r.
Medium Anti-Air: Offers the most possibilities of all the units. MAA excels in close engagements when in number. While it has a smaller range, attacks aren’t interfered by IR countermeasures, as is the case with HAA. The ability to lower turrets makes all units but the heavier armors fair game. This is one of the game’s fastest units, so it’s good to use this speed to close, engage, or retreat. These units make proficient raiders, because of both speed and surprise. Number matters: groups of three or less won’t last long engaging the enemy.
Demolition Engineer: Blows stuff up. The only non-TA option for blowing up bridges. Ambushes are possible, but you should ask yourself if spending 600 on a very vulnerable unit is a good investment. Placing demolition charges on a heavily-used CP or place the enemy travels can often be worth the risk. Nothing can survive being in the direct blast zone of demolition charges. If I can, I’ll use these units to destroy bridges, though I’ll try to use transport helicopters to get the job over soon.
Repair Tank: Another great starting support unit. Repairs offer the most efficient source of attaining TA and points in the game. This is how the player referenced earlier is ranked so well. They repair fastest if directed onto a specific unit, but they passively repair vehicles that are nearby. Use the defensive ability of self-repairing when your unit first comes under fire. Using it later may be too late.
Troop Transport: Not really any specific uses for troop transports. Given that repair tanks cover the role of repair and you don’t have many troops to transport, this unit is generally not used. Perhaps spend extra points and help an infantry player out or use it to get your demolition engineer to the doomed site.
Artillery Bombardment
This is the route that most support players choose wholly. That is a stupid choice. Picture any map, note how vast it is. Now, try and shoot across half the map and hit moving enemies. Keep in mind most of the visible map closest to you is too close to fire at. Yeah, doesn’t work well. Artillery should be used against non-mobile enemies: fortifications, other artillery, and units fortifying areas. It can also be used to deny territory. Are infantry crossing through that forest? Shoot it up and burn it down with a Medium Artillery piece. Artillery bombardment is an option for support, but it’s not the best one for you and it’s especially not the best for your team.
Anti-Air
This is something every support player should provide. I suggest starting with two HAA and two repair tanks. This allows for repairing any damage helicopters may inflict as you bring them down. Remember that with smoke a single AA can repulse any number of helicopters.
Repair
Again, something a support player should do. As said earlier, repairing your allies is the easiest way to help your team and get points. Communication is helpful here. If I don’t know you will repair my helicopters, why would they be stationary near you? Repairs in the midst of combat give definite advantages.
MAA Raiding
This is mainly a development of Patch 5. From the patch’s notes:
Medium Anti-Air Vehicle turret rotation speed doubled. Medium Anti-Air Vehicle fire range decreased. Medium Anti-Air Vehicle accuracy increased significantly. Medium Anti-Air Vehicle offensive special ability damage increased by 50%.
What this means is that you have a very fast vehicle that can focus-fire air and ground units (lower turrets) fairly well. MAA Raiding is used mostly in either Domination or Tug of War maps and traditionally targets support player artillery and surrounding AA. The MAA speed is used to run away when, if, tanks respond. Group numbers are key and allow MAA to effectively engage everything but Medium and Heavy Tanks through focus-firing. Find out if you’re in range of the enemy by selecting enemy units ant pressing Alt to display firing ranges.
Note: In Patch #006, the range and accuracy of the medium anti-air vehicle was decreased
First, Last
The support player should play with their team in mind. Artillery is supplemental, not fundamental. It is the team that should protect Support AA and repair tanks, so Support players should return the favor and will consequently reap the rewards.
